The Tracker's Quest: (Forced To Serve #6)

by Donna McDonald

  “Mark me? Mark me how?” Seta demanded, ignoring Ji’s possessive jealousy. Arghane’s attention did not concern her. Plus, she didn’t have the luxury of worrying about Ji alongside everything else she had to do.

  “I need to mark you energetically,” Ji repeated, burying his face against Seta’s throat. Breathing her scent in, he explored the pleasure he felt in the intimacy. This satisfaction was what he would feel for his mate when the urgency of the Siren’s call had passed. Perhaps he could use a few of those pheromones he was fighting off to help them with their circumstances.

  “Hold me more intimately. Spread your thighs and let me rest myself. . .” The rest of the command died still on his tongue when Seta wrapped her nearly naked legs around him. A feral sound rose from his gut as the word ‘mine’ seared his brain. This position was not safe—not even with his implants pumping control drugs steadily. But he couldn’t let anyone harm her either. “I must do this. Return your pleasure to me if you can.”

  Metering his desire as much as he could, Ji lifted his head from her throat. When his mouth found Seta’s, confusion over what he intended froze her response at first, but then she melted. That tiny act of surrender—something he viciously craved from her—was almost his undoing. He sought Seta’s hands, both of them, and linked their fingers tightly to keep from stripping away the barriers between them. Her lips were hungry on his despite her protests about not wanting him, but still he kept his lips gentle in return. He had something more important in mind, so he eased their mouths apart.

  “Do you trust me not to hurt you, Seta?” Ji whispered the question and then waited. She kept her eyes closed, but finally nodded her head. It was the longest minute of his life. “Then put your gaze on mine and meet me as my equal, Sweet Joy.”

  Her eyes flew open at his command—wide open at what he said. He was going to enjoy causing that startled gaze over and over for the rest of their life together.

  “I am as flawed as any male you have known in your short life, but I am also striving to be worthy of the trust you have given me. With that in mind, I offer you all I am in support of your quest until you are satisfied it is done. Now accept the pleasure I bring to you to seal our agreement. Return yours to me if you can. This will convince even the least of intuitives that we have a physical accord.”

  Ji put his mouth to hers again, this time not holding back the hunger he felt in every cell. Beneath his lips, Seta whimpered as she shattered and arched under him. In the process of giving her pleasure, his mouth fell from hers again. The sound he made as he buried his face in her neck was half-wounded animal and half a sob of relief to have even so small a concession. It startled him to hear his need of her given voice.

  Her hands caressed the back of his head and stroked his braid. It was something he barely let himself fantasize about. As Seta’s resistance to him receded, her compassion increased and slid into him. She had not returned pleasure, but she had given him something he had never felt before with a female. For the first time in his already long Siren life, the restless spirit within him found genuine contentment. His reflection was broken by her sigh.

  “I suppose I should thank you for protecting me in such a pleasant manner. I read Sirens could pleasure without direct touch, but it is a different matter to receive actual proof.”

  Laughing was a disrespectful response to her sweet comment, but he couldn’t prevent it. When she tried to dislodge him, Ji used his greater weight and strength to pin her wrists to the bed. He was unwilling to let her up until he had a chance to explain his amusement.

  Seta yanked at her hands, anger growing. She didn’t understand why the demon’s power was nowhere to be found with the aggravating Siren laughing at her. “Why is my gratitude so amusing to you? Has no female ever thanked you before? Maybe you’re not as talented as you think you are.”

  “Sssh. . .stop insulting me,” Ji whispered, trying not to get angry at the way she constantly used his species as an insult. “I was amused only at my happy reaction to you. When you thanked me, I realized how jaded I had become. Your tenderness towards me after being pleasured is now something I crave as much as food or drink. Pleasing you could happily become my full-time career.”

  “Now you mock me. You see me as nothing more than a weak female to toy with—both mind and body,” Seta hissed, lifting her chin and looking off.

  “I would never use you in such a way. Do not accuse me of it again or I will punish you,” Ji whispered fiercely. “I respect you too much to ever hurt you.”

  “Get off me. You lie like every other male I’ve known,” Seta declared.

  A sharp-toothed bite on her neck had her squealing in genuine alarm, but it was several seconds before Ji let go. “You bit me! I can’t believe you bit me. Was that punishment for what I said?”

  “Was that punishment?” His laughter erupted at Seta’s indignant glare. Her outrage stirred him wickedly, so he moved off her while he still could. “No. The love bite was not punishment. I just marked you outwardly as being mine. Wear clothing to make sure Suzerain Trax and Chief Arghane see the mark. Such an obvious bonding symbol will erase any doubts they have about the nature of our relationship.”

  Seta’s surprisingly hard punch to his shoulder nearly knocked him off the sleeping platform. Ji rubbed the place she’d hit, pleased he had not called out in surprise or pain. Seta’s growing strength was a bit of a concern to his Siren male ego. But he would never have become a ship’s captain being the kind of male who ran from a challenge.

  “Never bite me again, Ji. I belong to no male. To think differently would be a deadly allusion for you to cultivate,” Seta declared, rolling from the bed to her feet.

  “Correction—no Ethosian male controls your destiny, nor will they ever while I breathe. But you will eventually accept that you belong to me, Seta. And I belong to you. We have already begun the process of becoming mates. You have my word—our mating is real.”

  When her eyes narrowed to slits, his mouth twitched even though he dared not laugh aloud again. Harsh language that sounded like animals quarreling filled the air around his head. This was the second time he had sent Seta into a passionate temper fit. Her anger at him would just further corroborate their stories. All in all—it was a good start to their day.

  “When you finish dressing, come to the table. I will serve first meal. It seems only fair since you served me last night,” Ji ordered.

  “You know I cannot let you do that.” Seta spat the words in English to be sure he heard and understood.

  “As far as I can tell the rooms are not wired with cameras or sound. I checked yesterday. So long as there is no one to observe us, we will conduct ourselves as we please. I do not want you to think I wish to have a subservient mate—or at least not when it comes to meals and daily living chores. I wish to spend my time with an equal, which I have found in you. Now stop arguing with me.”

  “Say please,” Seta ordered, mocking him for the times he had demanded the same from her.

  Ji’s mouth twitched. The sweet challenge of her rebellion crawled through him. “Do you wish to have a matching love bite on the other side of your neck?”

  Seta huffed out a frustrated breath. “See? I knew your humility was false.”

  Ji grinned and shrugged. “I’ve always had a problem with humility. It feels so unnatural. Perhaps you will help me grow that particular character trait in our time together.”

  “This conversation is a waste of energy. I am going to visit the cleansing area. Our canton uses a recycled liquid for that purpose, but since we also drink it, the liquid is highly valued. When it is your turn to cleanse yourself, do not spill it on the surrounding floor if you can prevent doing so. Make sure it stays within the space so it goes into the recycler. The penalty for waste is incarceration for several weeks.”

  “Advice noted. Thank you for educating me. Now please—hurry to your cleansing before I am tempted to give you a true reason to perform that task.”

 
Seta growled again at his insinuation she would bond with him willingly and swore in her old language, the one she had set aside. Then it occurred to her that his harassment might have a different purpose. “You mock me to torment me, don’t you?”

  Ji grinned and shrugged again. “Only sometimes,” he replied.

  Gritting her teeth to keep from issuing another useless threat, Seta turned on her heel and headed to the cleansing area.

  Hearing the Siren humming over their meal preparations promptly made her want to go back to him. The reaction annoyed her more than it should have.

  She grabbed the edges of the nearest cabinet and ordered herself to stay where she was.

  ***

  After they had eaten, Seta cleaned up the remnants of their meal while Ji took his turn in the cleansing area. When he reappeared, she smelled a new spicy scent on him, no doubt from one of the many amenities provided in the suite. The enhancement scent mixed well with the smell she associated with Ji’s presence. It also intrigued her enough to want to get closer to him. Desire bloomed inside her like a living thing with a mind of its own.

  Fortunately, Arghane knocked on their door before Ji had a chance to discover her arousal. It was bad enough she had been obedient and left the love bite uncovered. Not because Ji had told her to do so, but because Zorinda had made no effort whatsoever to heal the bruised flesh.

  The wrist burns from being tied up during Meen’s raid on the Guardian had healed in a matter of hours. Ji’s matching marks had lingered on him for days even though he’d sought help from Medical. Obviously the powerful creature inside her had decided Ji’s advice was sound about letting the mark be an outward symbol. After the way Arghane had glared and promptly ignored her after noticing the bite, she had reluctantly come around to agreeing with both of them.

  Arghane also hadn’t commented on her legs being covered by footless stockings. She had worn them for modesty under a short skirt, which she had chosen because it allowed the most freedom of movement. She was wearing her weapon vest over a shirt which was nearly transparent, but it was the only kind she had found among the beautiful clothes in the closet. She tried not to hate it, but the shirt made her look as open to bonding as one of the Siren certified escorts on the ship.

  Her uniform vest proved doubly useful when Arghane arrived at their door bearing their weapons. He returned hers with a hard stare containing a warning she chose to ignore. His disapproval didn’t matter to her. All that mattered was her blaster being back in its normal spot along her ribs. The extra bit of security allowed her to forget about any future side effects her sleazy clothing might cause.

  Seta did nod slightly to the angry male as a concession since he was doing the suzerain’s bidding. “I am ready to see Endara’s female sire. We can do so at your convenience.”

  Not saying anything much to her or Ji, Arghane simply walked off, assuming they would fall in line and follow. She did of course, and felt Ji quickly fall into step beside her as they walked across the canton’s perfectly groomed grounds.

  Though they passed by many males working and tending to their businesses, the most they got from anyone was a nod. Apparently the suzerain’s directive had spread while they slept, but the antagonistic energy rolling off those who saw her walking around freely with a weapon was still blatantly obvious to her. If Ji noticed their animosity, he paid it no mind.

  They entered the canton’s medical building where Arghane barked commands to a female sitting behind a desk. Nodding at his abrupt orders without smiling, the medic rose to retrieve a room key from a wall rack containing many.

  “I told Ineid you were coming. There was no response. We forced a stimulant on her this morning so she would remain alert,” the medic said.

  Seta snorted. The female medic’s lack of compassion for one of the suzerain’s official mates was appalling, but then most everything about her father’s canton was.

  At the door of the room, Seta stopped and turned to both Arghane and Ji. “I wish to talk with her alone. Perhaps she will be more receptive to sharing information if she doesn’t feel threatened by two males in the room.”

  “Agreed,” Ji said, turning to stare at Arghane, his gaze daring the male to disagree.

  “She may attack you, Seta of Trax. That’s why she got put in here in the first place. The female attacked the suzerain when he attempted to get another child on her. The scratches she left on him took much time to heal,” Arghane said.

  Seta tightened her jaw, briefly wishing the female had succeeded in causing lasting injury.

  “If I can stop you from touching me, I think I can handle one rightfully angry female,” Seta declared.

  Not waiting for Arghane’s response to her taunt, she unlocked the door and handed the key to Ji for safekeeping. She acknowledged his nod of understanding with one of her own before opening the door quietly and slipping inside.

  Chapter 6

  All light from outside had been blocked by a dark shade that only allowed slivers to leak around the edges into the room. In the middle of a small platform almost bare of comfort, a tiny frail female sat rolled into a ball with her skinny arms hugging her knees. She looked malnourished. . .and that was the least of her issues. Her gaze was vacant and resentful.

  “Ineid? My name is Seta. I’ve come to see you because I need your help to rescue your child, Endara,” Seta said.

  “I know who you are—Seta of Trax,” Ineid said flatly. “I have heard much of your quest. Your sire disapproves of your Siren suitor and hopes he dies in the desert of Ethos while helping you.”

  Seta sighed at Ineid’s gossip. Apparently information still flew fast among females on Ethos even without the aid of com devices. She walked forward, heading to the female’s side. “Yes. I am Seta of Trax, though the name evokes nothing but regret.”

  “You would be wise to flee while you can. The suzerain intends to kill you,” Ineid said quietly.

  Seta grabbed a chair which looked ready to break any moment and pulled it close to the bed to sit. “Yes. I believe he does intend it, but the suzerain will not find my death an easy task. Now please cooperate while we have this time alone. I need to ask you some questions about Endara.”

  “Why do you taunt me? I know no one with that name,” Ineid declared.

  “Is Endara not your birth child?” Seta asked.

  “No. I have no birth child. Suzerain Trax used me for a female incubator, but what came from me was never mine. I saw the being only for a brief moment when she slid out of me in this same vile place.”

  Seta frowned when the female looked away to stare at a wall. “I am sorry for your suffering. The child you carried for the suzerain has suffered as well. Endara has been sold for a high union price to a wealthy mining canton on the other side of Ethos. I’m going to find her and bring her back here. To do that, I need your help.”

  “No,” Ineid said sharply. “I will not help you. The suzerain does not appreciate the value of any treasure in his possession. All he knows is how to break things, including me. Did you know my first mate traded me for another female? He told many lies about my worth, but I no longer care about the pain of his betrayal. Death is coming to free me. I wait eagerly for it.”

  Seta tightened her jaw and hardened her heart. She understood how Ineid felt, but her empathy didn’t change what she had to do. “The suzerain will never allow your death. He wants more children with you. Tolerating his possession could buy you some time while I find Endara and figure out how to help both of you.”

  “Don’t waste your energy. One fate is no worse than another here on Ethos. Perhaps the Creators will render a compassion to her they have so far failed to show me.”

  Seta breathed calmly and deeply until Ineid’s hard stare swung in her direction. “I want to show you compassion. I know this prison,” she swung her hand around, “is not what any female deserves.”

  Ineid snorted and wiped her leaking eyes with her sleeves. “How many times were you bartered for the suzerai
n’s profit? Did your suffering change anything? That selfish male will never change his ways. And I will never think differently about the progeny he forced on me. Leave the child where she is.”

  Seta shook her head. “No. I cannot.”

  Ineid’s laugh at her insistence was a dry bark of uncaring.

  “Then your breath is as foul as your sire’s and your words as useless to me.”

  The madness in Ineid’s gaze made Seta shiver with concern for the damaged female. She steeled herself to keep pressing for information because no amount of sympathy could undo the cruelty that had been done to her.

  “Ineid—please help me. I need to know about your species and why the suzerain of a mining canton would want to buy such a small child for a mate. The miner obviously knew something about the child the suzerain didn’t. What is special about Endara?”

  “He called her his treasure because she brought him great wealth. That’s why he wants to make more of her, but I will not let it happen. You cannot violate a dead female. If you want to show me genuine compassion, use the laser weapon strapped to your body and free me from this life.”

  Rising, Seta walked away from the bed, shaking her head while she did so. “I cannot. Does the suzerain already know what Endara is capable of? Is he not being honest with me?”

  Ineid laughed low. “I said what was needed to get him off me. After he sold the child for so much, he thought he would make another who would bring an even greater price. Since that hasn’t happened, he wants the first child back so he can ask for seven fortunes for a ransom. Can you not see he uses you to achieve his ends because none of his males can find her? He’s sent several out. None have returned. The miners kill them to protect their own.”

  Seta let out a heavy sigh. The news was not surprising, but it was depressing. No wonder Chief Arghane didn’t want to go with them. It wasn’t about her and Ji. It was about facing the miners. “Will you tell me what you told the suzerain?”